No, these disfigured engine pieces you're looking at didn't come from one of our projects-gone-wrong. The broken crankshaft, bent rods and chipped-off pistons actually are remnants from a blown-up, stock-block (2-bolt main) supercharged 347 bullet that was being examined by Saul "The Surgeon" Gutierrez and Sean Roberts of Extreme Automotive, and the engine's owner, Rex Keith.

"How much horsepower will a stock 5.0 block hold?" If that isn't a timeless question, I don't know what is. "Experts" on Internet message forums, are oftentimes quick to post unbelievable responses: "A guy I know has a 'Stang that makes 700 horsepower and runs 9s with a stock 302 block!" is an example of just how outlandish the performance figures can be. The bottom line is, even when they're fortified to the hilt, with various "girdles," and braces and even hard-blok filler, OEM (non-race) blocks and their 2-bolt main cap design, just don't have the fortitude to stand up to not much more than 500 horsepower. Sure, five-hundie can certainly be made with a factory-block stroker, but the engine's longevity certainly will be suspect...especially if the engine is driven hard on a regular basis. Rex Keith is a road-racing enthusiast who flogs his 500+ horsepower, Vortech S-Trimmed Fox around SoCal tracks and also on local streets and canyon roads. Time apparently caught up with Rex's stroker (it was unknown how many years the engine has been together and how many miles it has) at a recent road-race event he was racing it. This engine failure happened at only 2,200 rpm. Imagine what the pieces would look like if the stroker had let go at the top of its rpm band...It's time for a 4-bolt block, Rex!